Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The Verdun freeway interchange was built in the early seventies. It's not fit for purpose and travels in only one direction. Despite extensive state government planning and a contribution of $50 million to the project, you've cut the promised federal funding of $200 million. My community is rightly angry and wants to know why, as minister, you don't believe we deserve an upgrade to our 50-year-old freeway interchange?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fisher will not interject before the minister even begins to speak.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mayo for her question. I know you are a long-term advocate for projects in your community, including this one. The facts of the matter are that we have been left with an infrastructure investment pipeline that is an absolute and utter mess. There are projects that have been committed to where there is insufficient funding to actually deliver what has been asked for. There is insufficient funding. They have left us with known cost pressures of over $33 billion in the infrastructure investment pipeline, including $14.2 billion of known cost pressures on those projects that are yet to start.

I understand that there will be communities who are disappointed by some of the decisions that we have made today, but I can say very clearly that they should blame those opposite for leaving a pipeline that simply cannot be delivered and for, in fact, not being honest with communities, including yours, that there is insufficient funding. They have been all press release and no delivery. We will continue to work with states and territories for priority infrastructure projects, but what we have done today is guarantee the $120 billion infrastructure investment pipeline. We have provided billions of dollars worth of cost pressures to states and territories, including $2.7 billion in South Australia to make sure that the North-South Corridor can be delivered, and that is an incredibly important project for that state. We will continue to work in partnership with states and territories to deliver projects, but not just press releases.